During the summer I started to put together a shortlist of walks that I wanted to complete once my Wainwright project was over and Raven Tor was always high on the list so much I feel I've lost count at the amount of times I've stood on the shores of Levers Water and almost changed my route once under the steep craggy outcrops that make up Brim Fell prominent east buttress.

It was also during a project walk did I mention while out with David and Rod about my Raven Tor plans where it would seem that Rod had also expressed an interest in an ascent on Raven Tor East Ridge ending the conversation with the words "just let me know when you've got Raven Tor planned, I'd love to join you"

It was late Thursday evening by the time my own plans had been confirmed for the forthcoming Sunday that I'd be ascending Raven Tor and although Rod changed his plans from an ascent on Skiddaw sadly David could not make it due to a pre-arranged walk with his wife Jennifer.

The forecast no matter were you was walking was looking increasingly better and by the time Sunday came, it was wall to wall sunshine which is pretty unseasonable for October, a day no less, fit for the fells.

The Coniston Fells are quite possibly some of the most easily accessible fells for myself which is why I always favour them during the long summer days after a morning in work, well, it may not be Summer but it sure feels like it as I arrived at Fell Gate in around an hour and twenty minutes later since leaving Wigan. I had arranged to meet Rod at 08:00am at Fell Gate on the Coniston side of the Walna Scar Road and I was running around twenty minutes ahead of schedule by the time I arrived at the familiar metal gate which I stopped to open.

I wasn't surprised to see that Rod had already arrived and was kitting up at the back of his car. I propped the gate open choosing a large slate slab and drove through closing the gate behind me. The last time I was back here was in February and I had remembered about the disrepair that the car park was in and nothing had changed except the fact that the car I am in today rides much lower than my last car and extra care was taken negotiating the ruts that could cause some serious damage to an oil sump.

This is the same car park who's owners, Rydal Estate have applied for permission to charge for parking and I have often wondered how long it would take until you had to pay to park at Walna Scar and I guess maybe now, I have my answer, they say it's to stop Camper Vans from parking overnight but Im guessing were there's money to be made an all that...

We greet as always with a handshake and the conversation instantly turns to the fine forecast we now find ourselves under. Up ahead there isn't a cloud in sight just a strong sun over the shoulder which illuminates the fell side grasses in a array of deep greens and vivid reds. Despite the brightness there is also a nip in the air as I add a soft shell almost straight from getting out of the car, Rod too.

A brief coversation took place about the long trousers we were both wearing and the possible fact, that we might have said goodbye to our shorts until next summer but as we we're about to find out, we might have been a little hasty covering up although nowt was said after that.

Four or five guys had arrived at Fell Gate from the direction of Little Arrow Moor, possibly after a wild camp some of whom took to their tooth brushes on arrival back at their cars and 'mornings' are shared. I found it odd that they were more bothered about cleaning their teeth rather than their car which they must have known had a flat battery before leaving it the night before, blazingly one lad said "I'll get the gate while you lot push" we watched the lads push the car towards an open gate only to find a car on the other side was now waiting to pass through, you just couldn't make that sort of bad luck up, who backed up we don't know, we were soon on our way blazing a trail towards Crowberry Haws walking poles fixed horizontally, for now.

After passing the open shafts just above Levers Water we strode out along the Dam wall towards the outflow where we stopped to plot our ascent, this easier said than done with a strong sun overhead. It was agreed that we would first head left, then right over the grassy terrace as we didn't see any point at starting right on Levers Water shoreline, instead opting to get the best out of the ridge at its craggy base.

Okay, time to head back.

There might have been possible options to get around our first scramble of the morning but we didn't bother to look for them instead opting to climb over this crevice which was probably around twenty feet in height, Rod, went first, not before we both shortended our walking poles ahead of the climb, in my own experience I should have packed them away completely.

The crevice I would imagine is largly in shadow resulting in moss covered rock which didn't offer anything in the way of grip which became apparent almost immediatly, it was a simple case of plotting your route before carrying it out, not a place to 'wing it'

Rod eased his way not putting a foot wrong and was soon looking down on me as it became apparant my walking poles as collapsed as they were, are getting in the way, with this I de-loop them from my wrist and throw them up before hoisting myself up easily to where Rod awaited me, why I just didn't pack my poles away in the first place I just didnt know.

Although I have stood here a few times today was Rod's first time at the summit cairn despite being within a whisker of it on many occasions which gave us the reason just to absorb our surroundings while at the same time, get our breaths back.

After plotting an ascent on Great How Crags, which I might add got added to a very lengthening 'to do list' we strode out leaving the summit behind before taking on the steady ascent towards Brim Fell passing the top of Brim Fell Rake along the way, our plan is to head straight to Coniston Old Man from where we can collect Brim Fell summit while on the return.

I guess I didn't quite know it at the time but for one reason or another I would often return to the Coniston Fells over and over, in fact they are among my most walked fells and when I look back I've found that simply without knowing a bond had been forged and like a love sick teenager, I do get that special yearning in the pit of my stomach after time and it's all because of views like this.

Okay, thats enough nostalgia, we press on.

We trailed the walkers who had left the Old Man shortly before us who by now were most probably making a descent over Levers Hawse by the time we reached Brim Fell summit with the exception of the chap you see in the right of the photo who was making his way back to the Old Man after also visiting Brim Fell. It's a cracking ridge walk which always feels to me like it's never long enough.

We press on towards Levers Hawse.

I can't help but be reminded of the time I saw my first broken spectre some years ago while at Swirl How summit, back then it was also October yet the contrast between the years couldn't have been further apart, while here today it feels Spring like, back then, it most definitely felt within the depths of Winter.

Photograph opportunities are always few and far between when descending Prison Band as concentration is needed for much of the descent, it's the kind of descent which lets you forget about the camera, but in a good way.

After a short yet steady ascent from Swirl Hawse the path now levels for a while as views open out towards Wetherlam whose summit was starting to look rather over crowded. I stop and say to Rod you reckon this is a good spot to start our ascent on Black Sails from? Aye it's as good as any, I guess that's what the cairn is for (which I had failed to see)

Well, at least we're thinking on the same wave length I grunted. A narrow grassy trod now ascends steadily over sometimes swollen ground from where we spotted a large group of walkers who were just leaving Black Sails summit. Despite not spotting the cairn earlier I was feeling more than pleased with the path which may have been steep, but it was also direct, on other occasions I had previously followed the path below too far in the direction of Wetherlam only to back track over bog and not to mention, two of Black Sails false summits.

There was one of that today.

We were beaten to the small beach on the East side of Levers Water by a young couple who we saw arrive just moments earlier, this however wasn't a problem and we decided to eat lunch whilst sat with our legs dangling over the water from the Dam edge, soon we are joined by more people who also take five whilst sitting on the dry grass along the Dam wall, before long more walkers had arrived and what felt like quite a secluded spot was starting to feel like Blackpool sea front, but we couldn't blame anyone for wanting to enjoy the tranquilness.

As soon as lunch was eaten we didn't hang around and re-shouldered before striding out under the gaze of our mornings conquest by which time we are joined by two young girls who stopped to ask where they going the right way to get up there/ or words to that effect whilst pointing towards Brim Fell and Coniston Old Man.

Well, that's a tough question and I guess unless you have come this way intentionally you're quite off the path if your wanting to summit the Old Man today, the young girls weren't particularly dressed for fell walking and didn't appear to be carrying maps or know where they needed to be with the exception that they wanted to get high. I asked them did they need to summit or would a visit to Low Water be an option to which they politely replied, we just want to get up there pointing at Coniston Old Man.

Okay, we're heading part of the way if you like you can follow us as Rod went onto explain where the path splits close to Crowberry Haws which didn't seem to phase them one bit, okay they said, and that was the last we saw of them until about fifteen minutes later.

We started to re-trace the same route as earlier soon passing through a rather busy Boulder Valley whilst every now and again, glancing over our shoulders to see if the girls had decided to follow us and soon after they appeared over the top of Boulder Valley, the good samaritan in Rod reared as they looked a little helpless stood there contemplating which path they would need as Rod went onto say, I'll track back and point them towards the right path.

Whilst Rod tracked back I told him I'd wait on the other side of Low Water Beck which is where I took this photo whilst sat lazing on a large rock waiting for Rod to catch me up...

Sorted Rod? aye they're okay now.